Fish-hook.



PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

B. F. PLEGEL.

FISH HOOK.

APPLICATION 11.30 SEPT.2, 1904.

anuzntoz UNITED STATES Patented February 21, 1905.

BENJAMIN F. FLEGEL, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

FISH-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,253, dated February21, 1905.

I Application filed September 2, 1904. Serial No. 223,142.

To (all 10/1/0771, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. FLEGEL, of Racine, in the State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFish-Hooks; and I hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in fishhooks; and its object is toprovide an improved snare-hook which can be easily concealed in bait,such as frogs or minnows, without the barbs appearing or protruding,thus being less liable to catch snags than an ordinary hook, yet if thebait is taken the jerk on the hook willcause the barbs to spread apartand pierce through the sides of the bait and catch the fish firmly andsecurely, the resisting pull only causing a more firm engagement of thebarbs, which catch the fish much farther down in its throat or mouththan the ordinary hooks will do.

The hook comprises a staff or shank to one end of which are pivoteddivergent barbs adapted to be inserted in closed condition into thebait, and the other end of the shank is provided with means for holdingthe bait on the hook, and thus preventing the barbs opening until thebait is taken.

I will describe the invention with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, which show various forms of hooks embodying the invention, andrefer to the claims for summaries thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of the hook, showing the barbsclosed in full lines and the position of the hook within a bait. Fig. 2is an edge view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an edge view of a similar hook with amodified bait-holder. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section showing thepreferred mode of attaching the barbs to the shank or stem. Figs. 5 and6 are detail views showing other modes of attaching the barbs to theshank.

The shank A of the hook is preferably straight and has an eye a on itsupper end for connection to the line B. At the lower end of the shankare two diametrically opposite barbs C C, which are pivoted to the shankin such manner that they can swing outward in the plane of the shank.These barbs, as shown, are about one-third the length of the shank andare preferably provided with opposite lugs con their lower ends, formingit into a T-head, said lugs 0 being confined in openings in opposeddisks or plates D, which are attached to opposite sides of anenlargement or head A on the lower end of the shank. The upper part ofthis head is cut away, so as to leave opposite slots or recesses (Zabove the pivots c to permit the desired swinging movement of the barbsand to arrest the barbs when properly opened, as indicated in Figs. 1,5, and 6. In lieu of the T-heads or pintles c the barbs may be providedwith eyes 0, pivoted on pins or rivets d, as indicated in Fig. 5, or thebarbs may have their lower ends bent, as at 0 (see Fig. 6,) to engagepins or rivets d the barbs being extended below the pins d, as at 0 suchextensions serving to limit the opening movement of the barbs.

The shank may be provided with a collar or swell A above the head A,with which the barbed ends of the barbs will contact when in closedposition and as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, such swell keeping the barbsproperly separated when in closed position.

To the upper end of the shank is attached a bait-retaining device. This,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, consists of two opposite eyes or catches E E,to which a tie F may be attached. This tie may be a cord or preferably asmall rubber band, the opposite ends of which are engaged with theopposite catches E E, as shown. In Fig. 3 the bait-fastener is adouble-pointed loop-hook G, which is hung in the eye a.

The manner of using my hooks is as follows: The bait-a frog or fish iskilled. Then the hook is inserted, barbed end first, into the stomach ofthe bait, the eye a protruding slightly from its mouth. The tie F iscaught on one catch E and then run through the lips of the bait, whichis suitably punctured for that purpose, and then caught on the othercatch E, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, thus holding the bait on thehook while the barbs lie close together. If now the bait is taken by afish, the jerk on the lineB pulls the bait back on the hook and thebarbs open outwardly, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1, impaling thefish securely and so far within its jaws or throat that escape isimpossible. The barbs, of course, pierce the sides of the bait and catchthe fish, as is evident. With the bait-holder shown in Fig. 3 the hookis placed in the bait as described. Then the loop-hook G is-spread apartso that its points 9 engage the opposite jaws of the bait, holding themsecurely closed and preventing the barbs opening until the bait istaken.

Preferably the points 0 of the barbs are slightly bent laterally inopposite directions, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, which will preventthe hook slipping out of the bait should the mouth thereof be partlyopen.

Having thus described my invention, what I therefore claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent thereon, is

1. A fish-hook having pivoted swinging barbs, bait-retaining devicesabove the barbs, comprising opposite catches attached to the shank, anda tie secured to said catches and threaded through the bait,substantially as described.

2. A fish-hook comprising a shank having an eye at one end, a head atthe other end, and an intermediate swell; barbs pivotally connected tothe head of the shank, and adapted to close against the swell thereon.and a baitretainer attached to the shank adjacent to the eye,substantially as described.

3. A fish-hook having a shank, and opposite swinging barbs pivotedthereto having their points bentor deflected laterally, substantially asand for the purpose described.

with a recessed head at one end, and barbs having T ends pivoted in therecesses of said head; with a bait-retaining device at the other end ofthe hook.

6. A fish-hook having a shank, opposite barbs pivoted to the end of theshank opposite the end to which the line is connected, and abait-retaining device on the shank above the barbs, substantially asdescribed.

7. A fish-hook having a shank provided with a swell and barbs pivoted tothe shank at the end opposite the end to which the line is connected andbelow the swell, and adapted to be closed upwardly against the swell,substantially as described.

8. A fish-hook having a shank, barbs pivoted to the end of the shankopposite the end to which the line is connected adapted to be concealedin the bait and to swing outward piercing the bait when the latter is"taken, and a bait-retainer attached to the shank above the free ends ofthe barbs.

9. A fish-hook comprising a shank having a line connection at one end,and an enlargement or head at the other end provided with slots, andbarbs pivoted in said slots and closable toward the line connection,substantially as described.

10. A fish-hook comprising a shank having a line connection at one end,and an enlargement or head at the other end provided with slots, andbarbs pivoted in said slots and clos able toward the line connections;with a baitretainer on the other end of the hook.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

* BENJAMIN F. FLEGEL. In presence of N. S. WAIT, J. P. WILLIAMS.

